Expansible-compressible unit filter assembly



p 6, 1969 A. R. GETZIN 3,467,257

EXPANSIBLE-COMPRESSIBLE UNIT FILTER ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 9. 1966INVENTOR.

MAW/an ,Q. Gefz/n United States Patent U.S. Cl. 210-484 6 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A unit filter assembly including aflow-through border frame member formed from stiif sheet-like materialand having fold means to permit expansion and compression of such borderframe member, the border frame member receiving the edges of filtermedium of an expansiblecompressible nature therein.

The present invention relates to a filter assembly, and moreparticularly, to an improved arrangement for a filter assembly of theunit type which includes an open face border frame member of theflow-through type having filter medium disposed therein to removecontaminant particles from a fluid stream passed therethrough.

In accordance with the features of the present invention, a novel unitfilter arrangement is provided which is expansible-compressible innature to permit a maximum number of units to be stored in a given spaceand to permit such units to be readily set up for operational use uponremoval from storage. In addition, the present invention provides a unitfilter assembly which is economical to manufacture, sturdy inconstruction, efficient in operation, and adaptable to a variety ofuses.

Various other features of the present invention will become obvious toone skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forthhereinafter.

More particularly, the present invention provides a unit filter assemblycomprising: a border frame means defining an open upstream anddownstream face to permit fluid flow therethrough, the border framemeans including base and opposed side wall members arranged so that theinner faces thereof define a continuous channel; means to facilitatemovement of opposed side wall members of the border frame means towardand away from each other to permit expansion and compression of thecontinuous channel; and expansible-compressible filter medium disposedtransverse the direction of fluid flow between the upstream anddownstream faces of the border frame means, the edges of the filtermedium engaging in the continuous channel of the border frame means.

It is to be understood that various changes can be made by one skilledin the art in the arrangement, form, and construction of the apparatusdisclosed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of thepresent invention.

Referring to the drawings which disclose one advantageous embodiment ofthe present invention:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away isometric view of a novel unitfilter assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial plan view of a portion of a corner of the unitfilter frame of FIGURE 1 taken in a plane passing through line 22 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial isometric view of a corner of the unit of FIGURE 1showing the same in partially collapsed position;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a portion of one corner of the unit of FIGURE1; and

FIGURE 5 is a development view of one half of a frame member utilized tomake up the border frame unit of FIGURE 1.

ICC

As can be seen in the drawings, the filter assembly broadly designatedby reference numeral 2 comprises a flow-through border frame includingbase wall member 3 and spaced side wall members 6 extendingsubstantially at right angles from such base wall member. The borderframe, which can be fabricated from any suitable sturdy andadvantageously disposable material such as chipboard or cardboard,serves to define opposed faces 7 and 8, one of which serves as anupstream face and the other a downstream face to permit fluid flowtherethrough. As will be noted, the base wall member 3 and side wallmembers 6 of frame 2 are so disposed that the inner faces thereof serveto define a continuous U-shaped channel which surrounds the path offluid flow. Although the border frame in the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention is of rectangular contour, it is to be understood that thefeatures of the present invention can be incorporated in assemblieswherein the border frames are of other contours if the occasion sowarrants.

Disposed transverse the direction of fluid flow between face 7 and face8 of the border frame is a flat filter medium pad 9. The material fromwhich filter pad 9 is formed can be selected in accordance with theparticular results desired and can be any one of several known types ofexpansible-compressible material available in the filter art. Forexample, filamentous glass fiber mat can be used effectively so long asit has the property of being expansible-compressible in nature. Pad 9 iscontoured to conform with the contour of the border frame when in set upposition and is sized so that the edges of the pad engage in thecontinuous U-shaped channel of the border frame.

In accordance with the present invention, border frame 2 is providedwith means to facilitate movement of opposed side wall members 6 of theborder frame towards and away from each other to permit lateralexpansion and compression of the continuous U-shaped channel. As can beseen in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, in the disclosed embodiment of theinvention, border frame unit 2 is formed from two oppositely disposedframe halves 10 and 20, each of which provides one of the two side wallmembers 6 and a portion of base wall member 3. The base wall portions ofeach of the frame halves is, in turn, connected to a perimetric stripmember 11 which also can be made from a suitably rigid chipboard orcardboard material. Perimetric strip 11 is provided with a fold line 12extending therealong to permit movement of the opposite side wallmembers toward and away from each other. It is to be noted that the basewall forming portions of each frame half can be connected to perimetricstrips 11 by any one of a number of suitable means, for example bygluing or by stapling at selected intervals. It further is to be noted(FIGURE 3) that each frame half 10 and 20 which forms the rectangularborder frame member is separated at the four corners of the base wallforming portions as at 13, and that four separate strips 11 areutilized, one on each side of the frame, to facilitate movement of theopposed side wall members 6 toward and away from each other. Inaddition, it is to be noted (FIG- URE 5 that the base wall formingportions of the frame halves can be provided with corner overlap tabs 14which extend from certain ones of the separated base wall formingportion to overlap with adjacent base wall portions to insure a minimumamount of leakage at the severed corners.

From the aforegoing description, it can be readily seen that with afilter pad such as aforedescribed of expansiblecompressible natureinserted in the U-shaped channel formed between side walls 6 and basewall member 3 of the assembled frame 2 that it is possible to compressborder frame 2 at the same time that media 9 is compressed for filterunit assembly storage purposes. It will be obvious from the aforegoingdescription that several of theseunit-frames can be stacked one upontheotherand nected base and opposed parallel panel-like side wallmembers arranged so that the inner faces thereof define a continuouschannel means; fold means cooperable with said base wall member topermit perimetric folding therealong to facilitate movement of saidopposed side wall members of said border frame means toward and awayfrom each other to permit expansion and compression of said continuouschannel, said side wall members being so constructed and arranged withsaid fold means so that said side wall members maintain a substantiallyparallel relation; and expansiblecompressible filter medium meansdisposed transverse the direction of fluid flow between said upstreamand downwstream faces of said border frame means, the edges of saidfilter medium means engaging in the continuous channel of said borderframe means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said border frame means being of polygonalconfiguration and having its base wall member severed at the corners tofacilitate movement of said opposed side wall members toward and awayfrom each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said base wall member having fold linesextending therealong to permit movement of said opposed side wallmembers toward and away from each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said border frame means including twooppositely disposed frame halves, eachof which provides a side wallmember and a portion of said base wall member said base wall portionsbeing connected to a perimetric strip member having a fold lineextending therealong to permit movement of said opposite side wallmembers toward and away from each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, said border frame means being of polygonalconfiguration and having its several sides severed from each other atthe corners transverse the base wall member to facilitate movement ofsaid 0pposed side wall members toward and away from each other.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 and a corner overlap fold means extendingfrom one side of said border wall member in overlap relationship with anadjacent side of said border wall member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,019,867 7/1933 Nelson.

2,138,874 12/1938 Myers -516 X 2,569,575 10/1951 Philipps 55-5192,677,436 5/1954 Mazek 555l8 2,988,168 6/1961 Wittemeier 61.61.

3,111,489 11/1963 Getzin 55-517X 3,142,550 7/1964 Kuehne.

3,258,900 7/1966 Harms 210-485 x REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner C. M.DITLOW, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

